Leaving your home without a valid reason can now land you a £200 fine and criminal record in England.
From today people can only leave for work, exercise, medical need, to get food and some other reasons set out under the new coronavirus restrictions.
Exemptions for non-elite sport, protest and wedding receptions have been removed – meaning you can now face penalties for that too.
The fine will be reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days but repeat offenders could be hit with penalties rising to £6,400 – or a conviction if they challenge it in the courts.
Leaving your local area to go on holiday and mixing with other households indoors or in private gardens not in a support bubble is banned.
But meetings of two people from different households in an outdoor public space, such as a park, are allowed.
People can still face fines for not self-isolating when they are ordered to (£1,000) and for attending or organising gatherings (up to £10,000).
And businesses can face extra penalties too for not upholding the laws in their premises from £1,000 for a first offence up to £10,000 for the fourth and subsequent breaches.
Police are expected to exercise judgement on a case-by-case basis.
A 21-page College of Policing guide for officers states: "The list of reasonable excuses is not exhaustive and it is key that officers exercise judgment in a case where they encounter a person with an excuse that is not included in the list of exceptions."
Officers have been advised to engage with people and explain the changes to the law and offer "encouragement to comply" voluntarily, with enforcement used only as "a last resort".
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But they can order people in an illegal gathering to disperse or return to their home and can use "reasonable force" to remove someone.
Police can also issue someone who is "reasonably believed" to have committed an offence under the regulations with a fixed-penalty notice.
An adult with responsibility for a child in breach of the regulations can be told to take them home.
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The reasons you are allowed to leave home in England are:
To buy goods or obtain services from a business that's open – or to get them for a vulnerable person
To exercise outside – either alone, with your household or one person from outside your household
To provide informal childcare for someone under 13
For 'recreation' – to visit a public outdoor place for enjoyment – such as going to the park
To attend a place of worship
To attend a Remembrance event
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To undertake activities in connection with or required to buy, sell or let out a home
To visit an estate agent, home, or show home to buy or rent
Moving house
To visit the tip or a recycling centre
To collect food or drink from a take-away venue
To visit people in your support bubble
To go to work, school, training or volunteer work
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To fulfil legal obligations such as attending court or bail proceedings
To access critical public services including social services, DWP job centres, food banks or victim support
For medical need – including appointments, tests, vaccinations, to donate blood, to be with someone giving birth, or to avoid injury and escape harm
For support groups – such as vulnerable person's meetings, to care for someone with a disability
To visit someone who is dying if you're family or a close friend
For a funeral, celebration of life or to visit a grave and pay respects
For a wedding – but these are only allowed if one of the party is dying
For childcare reasons – such as for kids to visit both parents
To look after animals including exercising them
To return home from a holiday
To visit someone in prison
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